OP: Chinese Gastronomy (paperback)

Perigree, 1982. Paperback. Very Good.

Exploring the development and the complex character of Chinese cuisine, the authors—wife and daughter of the world-renowned writer and philosopher Lin Yutang—explore its varied cooking techniques, its astonishing array of flavors and textures, and the many ways in which it incorporates imaginative sauces, toppings, and relishes. 

The constant, complex play among a welter of different culinary elements suggests that Chinese cooking practice is, in many ways, an adventure in gastronomic experimentation. Drawing on both the formalized classical food traditions and the simple dishes of the home and workplace, the Lins provide an enlightening and highly accessible picture of foods that we often enjoy but less frequently understand.

Although there are ample recipes, Chinese Gastronomy is not primarily a cookbook but rather a highly readable account of one of the world’s greatest cuisines. The essays that appear throughout, the graceful drawings and, most of all, the sense of discovery, make this a book that belongs in every personal or institutional collection.

Ours is the 1982 paperback, Very Good. Lightly shelfworn with some creasing to the spine.